Means for operating suction-actuated devices from the intake manifold of internal-combustion engines



March 9 S. BRAGG ET- AL C. MEANS FOR OPERATING SUCTION ACTUATED DEVICES FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Filed June 16 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O a 5 w 3 Z M w an A a z 7% w v 5.03 I mam M4 E w "March 9,1926. I I I I C.S.'BRAGG ETAL MEANS FOR OPERATING SUCTION ACTUATED DEVICES FROM THE N INTAKE. MANIFOLD .OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES File; June. 16., 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES.

1,576,432 PATENT OFFICE.

CALEB S. BRAGG, OF PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, AND VICTOR W. KLIESRATH, OF PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO BRAGG-KLIESRATH CORPORATION, 0] LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR OPERATING SUCTION-ACTUATED DEVICES FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed June 16, 1925. Serial No. 37,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CALEB S. BRAGG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palm Beach, in the county of Palm Beach and State of Florida, and VICTOR W. KLIEs- RATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Washington, in the'county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Operating Suction-Actuated Devices from the Intake Manifold of Internal-Combustion Engines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Ourinvention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show several embodiments of the invention, selected by us for purposes of illustration, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the operation of vacuum brakes for automotive'vehicles or other vacuum or suction actuated devices, in connection with internal combustion engines, it is extremely convenient to obtain the necessary suction or partial vacuum from a suction passage of the internal combustion ending, and located between the throttle valve for controlling the supply of explosive mixture, and the cylinder or cylinders of the engine. To this end it is convenient and desirable to connect the vacuum brake mechanism or other vacuum or suction actuated devices, with the intake manifold of the engine. It will be understood that the air exhausted from the suction actuated mechanism and delivered into the intake manifold necessarily tends to reduce the degree of rarefaction therein, and thereforeto prevent the drawing in of the proper quantity of liquid fuel from the atomizer of the carburetor, or to dilute the ,explosive mixture passing through the suction passage frequently to such an extent that the resulting mixture reaching the engine cylinders will not readily ignite. In either case, the engine, if turnlng over idly, would be likely to stall and the admission of air into the manifold in this manner may also materially delay mechanism with the intake manifold, for

the purpose of avoidlng the stalling of the engine and delay the starting, would necessarily result'in retarding the operation of the brake mechanism to agreater or less extent, and is therefore undesirable.

It is also to be understood that in the operation of vacuum brake mechanisms, the

moving part of the suction actuated device is acted upon by differential pressures brought about by producing a condition of rarefaction on one side of the piston, under the control of suitable reversing valve mechanism, and that the air so admitted is withdrawn and delivered into the suction passage of the engine, usually the intakemanifold, that is to say, between the throttle and the cylinder ports.

The object of our present invention isto provide means for preventing the air withdrawn from a suction actuated device, connected with the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, and delivered into the intake manifold, from stalling the engine or interfering materially with the operation thereof, and it consists in providing means for connectlng the suction pipe from the vacuum actuated device, as a power ac-- tuator for operating the brake mechanism of a vehicle, to that portion of 'the intake manifold which supplies one, or a relatively small part of the whole number of cylinders served by the manifold, and providing the manifold with means for temporarily disconnecting that portion of the manifold with which the suction pipe is connected,

whenever a sufliciently large volume of air is admitted into the manifold from the suction pi e, as would interfere with the operation 0 the engine. The effect of this construction is to localize the dilution of the mixture in that part of the manifold which is so cut off and thereby confining its effect upon the cylinder or cylinders connected connected with the se arated portion of the manifold may not during one or more revolutions of the engine shaft, be provided with charges sufliciently rich in fuel to ignite.

In carrying our invention into effect, we

referably interpose a spring actuated valve Between the portion of the manifold which should be cut off and the remaining portion, said valve being normally held open against the force of a retracting spring, by the suction of the engine cylinders, connected with the part of the manifold to be isolated, and said valve being closed automatically by its retracting spring to isolate that portion of the manifold whenever a sufiicient quantity of air, withdrawn from the suction actuated device and delivered into that portion of the manifold, through the suction pipe connected therewith, to materially reduce the rarefaction in that portion of the manifold,

in which case the engine will continueto function under the explosions occurring in the other cylinders, and revent stalling or undue interference with the operation of the engine which will, for the moment, operate as if a cylinder had missed firing.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing installation in an. automotive vehicle, comprising an internal combustion engine, of the multi-cylinder type, brake mechanism for the vehicle, and a vacuum or suction operated power actuator for the brake mechanism, and having our present invention embodied therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one form of power actuator which may be conveniently employed in an installation of this kind.

Fig. 3 is .an enlarged detail elevation,

partly in section, of a four cylinder engine,

showing one way in which the manifold may be conveniently constructed for the carrying out of our present invention, by isolating the portion of the manifold supplying a single cylinder thereof.

Fig. 4: is a similar view of a six cylinder engine, showing an arran ement in which the portion of the manifoi d supplying two of the six cylinders may be temporarily out ofii from the remaining portion of the manifo d.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the manifold, showing the arrangement of the spring actuated valve.

In Fi l we .have illustrated our invention app ied in connection with an automotive vehicle propelled by an internal coming in this instance a brake band,

.anism. In like manner the sleeve,

bustion engine and having a vacuum or suction actuated device for operating the brake mechanism of the vehicle. In this figure, 1 represents the cylinder of a power actuator, of the kind illustrated in our former application for Letters Patentof the United States, filed January 5, 1925, and given- Serial N o. 506, although we do not limit the for operating a brake mechanism of anyusual or preferred construction,

diagrammatically. illustrated in Fig. 1 and compris- 71, and brake drum, 70, so that the movement of the piston in one direction applies the brake,

and in the opposite direction, releases the brake. The hub of the actuator piston is provided with reversing valve mechanism, which is operated by a longitudinally movable valve actuating rod or sleeve, 20, extending therethrough, and through the 1101- low piston rod, and projecting through the opposite end of the cylinder from the piston rod, said valve mechanism being so constructed as to place one end of the cylinder in communication with the suction line or pipe extending to the intake manifold, and the other end of thecylinder in communication with the atmosphere, and vice versa, according as the valve actuating sleeve is moved in one direction or the other. The valve actuating sleeve is provided with an internal plug or partition, 23, the rear portion to the right in Fig. 2, being connected to the atmosphere through an aperture, 5, in the hollow piston rod, and the opposite end of the valve sleeve being connected to a suction pipe, 26, at least a portion of which is flexible, to permit of the operation of the valve sleeve, 20 said suction pipe extending to the manifold, 61, of the internal combustion engine, 60, and said suctionpipe be ing preferably provided with a check valve, 65. The suction end of the valve sleeve, 20, is provided with an aperture, 20, communicating with a suction chamber, 3*, in the interior of the piston, which can be placed in communication with the cylinder on one or the other or both sides of the piston under the control of the reversing valve mech- 20, is provided with an air inlet aperture, indicated at 20, communicating with an air inlet chamber, 3, by which atmospheric air control of the valve mechanism on either side of the piston, in connection with a bipass, 19. h

In the form of actuator herein shown, the

- air is normally exhausted from the actuator cylinder, 1, on both sides of the piston, when t e latter is in the normal or off position, so that the actuator cylinder itsel serves also the purpose of a vacuum storage space and obviates the necessity of providing an extraneous suction or vacuum tank. In this instance this is accomplished by providing the valve actuating sleeve, 20, with a stop,

as for example, the shoulder, 21., in Fig. 2, which will arrest the sleeve in such position that when the piston is in its retracted position, the central valves, indicated at 41 and 42, of the reversing valve mechanism, will be held in open' position .and thereby'place the cylinder on both sides of the piston in 1 communicationqwith the vacuum or suction pipe, 26,but the same result may be accomplished in other ways.

In this instance we have shown the valve sleeve, 20, provided with two pairs of. o positely arranged valves, loosely mounte on the valve sleeve, and having interposed be tween the valves of each pair, retracting and sealing members, 50, tending to seat the valves of each pair, said valves being opened by means ofcollars, 51,secured to the sleeve, 20, on opposite sides of the respective pairs of valves, and the hub of the piston is provided with ports, 34 and 35, on opposite sides of the piston, communicating with the suction chamber, 3, and the piston is also provided with the ports, 33 and 36, on opposite sides of the piston, communicating with the air inlet chamber, 3". The specific valve mechanism herein shown and described is covered by our former ap lica-tions for Letters Patent of the United tates, to wit, Serial No. 506, filed January 5, 1925, and Serial No. 13,183, filed March 5, 1925, and this valve mechanism, per se will not be specifically claimed herein.

The sleeve, 20, is operatively connected with the foot lever, 7 4, or other operator opera-ted device, provided with a retracting spring, 7 5. 66 represents the carburetor of the engine, having the air intake, 67, and gasoline supply pipe, 68. 69 represents the usual throttle valve, interposed between the carburetor'and the intake manifold.

In Figs. 1 and 3 we have shown the suc-' therein, provided with a. valve seat to re ceive an automatic valve indicated at 76, normally held closed when the engine is not in operation by the retracting sprlng, 77,

in operation, by the suction of the cylinder of the engine connected with the section,

'61", of the manifold. For convenience of assembling, we lprefer to form the manifold in three parts, t e part, 61", previously mentioned, the part 61, which supplies explosive mixture to the remaining cylinders, and an intermediate tubular section, 61, containing at one end the partition, 61", with the aperture, 61, formed with the valve seat, and having a s ider, 61', in which the stem, 78 of the va ve, 76, is guided, the spring, 77, being interposed between the spider, 61, and a collar, ,79, secured to the end of the valve stem, 78, in any desired way. The spring 77, may be calibrated to the desired strength to insure the proper operation of the valve, 7 6, or the collar may be adjustabl secured, as by mounting it on the threade portion of the valve stem, and securing it in position by a lock nut, 80. The detachable section,- 61", of the manifold, secured in place between the sections, 61 and 61", by screws or bolts, 61 as best illustrated in Fi 5, or it may be secured in any other desire manner, and the valve may be mounted in the manifold in any other convenient or dmired way which will enable it to perform the functions herein described.

When the engine is running under normal conditions, and the actuator is not being 0perated, the suction of the engine cylinder, connected with the section, 61*, of the manifold, will maintain the valve, 76, in 0 en position against the force of its retracting spri 77. The withdrawal of a small quantity of air from the actuator and its discharge into the section 61, of the manifold, if not sulficient to disturb the normal operation of the engine, Would not materially aifect the open position of the valve, 76. When, however, such a quantity. of air enters the section, 61, of the manifold, from the actuator, as would otherwise interfere with the operation of the engine, or stall the engine if idling, there will be a material reduction of rarefaction in the section 61, of the manifold, with the-result that the valve, 76, would instantly close and isolate the section, 61*, and the cylinder or cylinders connected therewith (Figs. 1 and 4, single cylinder), and enable the motor to continue to run under the action of the remaining cylinders of the engine, whose supply of explosive mixture is not in any way affected. For example, under normal idling adjustment of the carburetor, a four cylinder motor Will continue to run if one cylinder is cut out. A six cylinder motor will continue to run if two cylinders are cut out. An eight cylinder motor will continue to run if two or three cylinders are cut and a twelve cylinder motor Will continue to run if three or four cylinders are cut out. What we really accomplish b our invention is to convert one or more cy inders of the engine temporarily into a pump for the actuator, the said pump being operated by the remaining cylinders of the multi-cylinder motor.

It is to be understood that our invention is applicable to any ordinary type of suction actuator. It 15, however, particularly applicable for use in connection with our im roved type of actuator herein shown and described, in which the piston of.,the actuator is submerged in a partial vacuum in the off or at rest position, or in other words, in which a partial vacuum is maintained in the cylinder on each side of the piston in the off or at rest position. In

this, our improved type of actuator, it will be understood that When the foot lever is depressed so as to move thevalve sleeve in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the valve, 42, will be closed and the valve, 41, opened wider, to connect the suction pipe with the cylinder forward of the piston, or to the left in Fig. 2, while the valve, 43, will be opened to connect thee linder in rear of the piston to the right in Fig. 2, with the atmosphere. This produces a forward movement of the piston and the application of the brakes without conveying any appreciable quantity of air into the intake manifold, as the forward portion of the cylinder is already exhausted. l'Vhen it is desired to release the brakes, the release of pressure on the foot lever, 74, will permit the return movement of the sleeve, 20, under the action .of the retracting spring 75, and the first effect will be to close the valve, 43, and open the valve, 42, valve 41 being also open momentarily, with the result that there will be an immediate equalizing of pressures on both sides of the piston, permitting the brakes to partially -release themselves. If it is desired to apply the brakes several times intermittently, thiscan be accomplished readily by slight forward movements of the foot pedal and when it is desired to finally and completely release the brakes, the further movement of the sleeve, 20, in a direction the reverse of that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, will open the valve, 10, and connect the forward portion of the cylinder with the atmosphere through the bypass, 19. It will be seen that in this, our improved type of actuator, we only exhaust appreciable quantities of air when the brakes are released and therefore if the admission of such large quantities of air to the section, 61", ofthe manifold should produce any retarding of the operation of the actuator, the only delay in the action would-be the final clearing or releasing of the brake shoes from the drums, which has little or no a preciable effect upon the brake operation, t e important factor in which is the immediate and instant application of the brakes. It will therefore be seen that our present invention of atmospheric air or other higher pressure fluid employed in connection with the actuator are received in the section, 61, of the manifold, in quantities not sufficient to fill the capacity of the cylinder 01' cylinders connected therewith, or to materially reducethe de eeof raiefaction of seetion,61", of the manifold, but when there is more air admitted to that section of the manifold than can be taken care of by the c linder or cylinders connected therewith, us to the comparatively long riods suction stroke of the our cycle type of internal combustion engine, this valve will close and the action of this valve will 'effeetively prevent any of the air withdrawn from the actuator and delivered into the section, 61, of the manifold, from being drawn into the other ortion of the manifold at any time by t e suction strokes of the other cylinders. It follows, therefore, that whether the quantity of air admitted to the cylinder or. cylinders connected with the section, 61, of the manifold, is suflicient to interfere with the firing of the between the neeted with that section of the manifold, ,1

the engine will still continue to function under the action of the remaining cylinders and stalling of the engine or other material interference with the operation of the engine, by the operation of the actuator, is effectively prevented.

We have stated that our invention is applicable to multi-cylinder engines having varying numbers of cylinders, as four, six, eight, twelve, etc. In Fig. 4 we have shown, forexample, a slight modification of the invention applied to a six cylinder engine, in which the valve containing section, 161", of the manifold, 161, is interposed between the isolatable sect-ion, 161 of the manifold, and the remaining section, 161 and in which the isolatable section, 161, of the manifold,

to whichthe suction pipe, indicated at 126, is connected, normally furnishes explosive mixture to two of the engine cylinders. In this figure, the section, 161 of the manifold, is rovided with the valve, 176, provided wit the retracting spring, 177, in the same manner as is shown in detail in Fig. 5', and the operation of the device will be the same as that previously described.

It will be seen that our present invention provides a very simple means of operatively connecting a suction actuator for brake mechanism, or other purposes, with a multicylindered internal combustion engine, in

such manner that the operation of the actuator will not effect the stalling or other maa: tcrial interference with the operation of the engine and cannot effect any cylinder of the engine except the cylinder or cylinders which are drawing their explosive charges from the isolatable section of the manifold. It will also be seen that our improved actuator, in which the piston is submerged in a partial vacuum when in the off position, combines effectively with the isolatable section of the manifold and contributes to pro cluce more efficient results by reason of the fact that as no appreciable quantity of air is admitted to the manifold when the brakes are applied, any retardation of the action of the actuator piston, which might be caused by the fact that it depends for its suction only on the pumping action of one, or in any event a minority of the cylinders, will have no effect onthe operation of the actuator in a direction to apply the brakes, but will only effect the return movement of the piston, which is not important to the highest efficiency of the braking system.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is '1. The combination with a multi-cylinder internal combusgion engine, provided with a suction passage or explosive charges, a carburetor communicating with said passage, a throttle valve for the engine located in said passage, of a suction actuated device an air connection therefrom to said suction passage of the engine and connected to the latter at a point between the throttle valve and the engine cylinders, said air connection being connected to a portion of said suction passage, supplying a portion only of the cyliners-of the engine, and means for disconnecting said portion of the suction passage from the remaining portion of the suction passage supplying the other cylinders of the engine.

2. The combination with a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine,'provided with a suction passage for explosive charges, a carburetor communicating with said passage, a

throttle valve for the engine located in said passage, of a suction actuated device, an air connection extending from the suction actuated device to said suction passage of the engine and connected to the latter at a point between the throttle valve and the engine cylinders, said air connection being connected to a portion of said suction passage, supplying a portion only of the cylinders of the engine, and an automatic valve interposed between said portion of the suction passage and the portion of the suction passage supplying the other cylinders of the engine, said valve being normally maintained in open position and constructed to close when sulficient quantities of air are admitted through said air connection into the portion of the suction passage to which it is connected, to reduce the de ree of rarefaction thereon, the closing 0 preventing the passage of any of said air to the other portion of the suction passage, and

to the other cylinders of said engine.

said valve 7 3. The combination with a multi-cylinder tion actuated device to said suction passage im a point between the throttle valve and the. I

of the engine, and connected to the latter at engine cylinders, said air connection being connected to'a portion of said suction passage, supplying a portlon only of the cyhn- "ders of the engine, and a spring actuated valve interposed between said-portion of the suction passage and the portion of the suction passage supplying'the other cylinders of the engine. and adapted to be held in 0 en 'position by thesuction of the engine ey inder or cylinders supplied by the said portion of the suction passage with which said air connection is connected.

4. The combination with a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine provided with a suction passage including an intake manifold having a connection with each cylinder,

a carburetor communicating with said passage and manifold for supplying explosive charges to all of the cylinders, a throttle valve for the engine, located in said suction passage between the carburetor and the manifold, a spring actuated valve located in the manifold for isolating a portion of the manifold supplying a cylinder or cylinders, from the portion of the manifold supplying the other cylinders of the engine, and normally held open by the suction of the cyinders connnected with such isolatable portion of the manifold, a suction actuated device and an air connection extending from the suction actuated device to said isolatable portion of the intake manifold.

5. The combination with'a multi-cylin'der internal combustion engine, provided with a suction passage including an intake manifold, having a connection with each cylinder, a carburetor communicating with said passage and manifold for supplying I explosive charges to all of the cylinders, a throttle valve for the engine located in said suction passage between the carburetor and the manifold, said-manifold having an isolatable section connected with a cylinder or cylinders, and a section supplying theremaining cylinders of the engine, at all times in communication with the carburetor, and a springactuated valve interposed between said sections and adapted to be held 0 en by the suction of the cylinder or eylin are connected with said isolatable section of the manifold, a suction actuated device and an air connection extending therefrom, to said isolatable section of the manifold.

6. The combination with a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, provided with a suction passage including an intake manifold, having a connection with each cylinder, a carburetor communicating with said passage and manifold for supplying explosive charges to all of the cylinders, a throttle valve for the engine located in said suction passage between the carburetor and the manifold, apower actuator including a cylinder, a double acting piston therein, and reversing valve mechanism, an air connection from said reversing valve mechanism to the isolatable section of the manifold, said valve mechanism being constructed to connect the cylinder on both sides of the piston with said air connection when the actuator piston is in off position, means for disconnecting the isolatable. section of the manifold from the other section of the manifold when material quantities of air are withdrawn from the actuator into the said isolatable section of the manifold, and operator operated means for controlling the reversing valve mechanism of the actuator.

7. The combination with a multl-cylinder internal combustion engine provided with a suction passage including an intake manifold having a connection with each cylinder, a carburetor communicating with said passage and manifold for supplying explosive charges to all of the cylinders, a throttle valve for the engine located in said suction passage between the carburetor and the manifold, a spring actuate-d valve interposed between the isolatable section of the manifold and the section supplying the other cylinders of the engine, normally held open by the suction of the cylinders connected with said isolatable section, a ower actuator comprising a cylinder, aouble acting piston therein, and reversing valve mechanism, an air connection from said reversing valve-mechanism to the isolatable section of the manifold, said valve mechanism being constructed to connect said air connection with the cylinder on both sides of the piston when the actuator piston is in its off position, brake mechanism connected with the actuator piston and an operator operated device for controlling said reversing valve mechanism.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures. 1

CALEB S. BRAGG. VICTOR W. KLIESRATH. 

